Polar H9 heart rate monitor review: A great budget fitness accessory for iPhone and Apple Watch

The Polar H9 is Polar’s cheapest heart rate monitor chest strap and uses an ECG sensor like its pricier H10 monitor to promise accurate heart rate data during workouts. The H9 connects over Bluetooth to the Apple Watch and is powered by a coin cell battery that will cover 400 hours of training time.

Polar H9: Price and availability

The Polar H9 costs $59.95/£51.50 making it one of the more affordable heart rate monitors available and costs less than the Polar H10, which sits at $89.95/£76.50. The H10 most notably adds Polar’s silicone Pro strap and the ability to store a single workout on the monitor.

You can buy the H9 directly from Polar’s website and also pick it up from retailers including Amazon. The H9 has been on sale since 2020 and if you shop around you can find it on sale for less than its $59.95/£51.50 launch price.

Polar H9: Specs and features

Like other chest strap-style monitors the H9 uses an ECG sensor to detect the heart’s electrical activity. It can connect to compatible devices and apps using either Bluetooth or ANT+ and you can only connect to one device at a time. The sensor clips into a soft textile strap, which is machine washable, just make sure to take the sensor off first. While you can’t charge the H9, it does use a simple coin cell battery, which needs to be replaced after 400 hours of training time. It also carries a water resistant rating that makes it safe to be submerged in water up to 30 metres depth.

Polar H9: Build and Performance

While the Polar H9 doesn’t come bundled with Polar’s Pro strap, which adds extra electrodes and silicon dots to prevent slipping, it is still compatible with that Pro strap and does offer the choice of two size options to make sure you get something that sits snug enough around your chest. It paired without issue with an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and older Series 8 and while the soft strap lacks the added features you get from Polar’s Pro one, it stays put, feels comfortable to wear, and crucially captures heart rate data accurately.

Polar H9: Competition

Some of the best heart rate monitors sit around this price. The Wahoo Tickr heart rate monitor is cheaper, has built-in LED indicator lights, and also works with the Apple Watch. If you shop around you can find the Polar H10 chest strap monitor for around $10/£10 more and that will give you that more advanced strap and that extra storage. We’ve found the H10’s strap a little more comfortable in comparison though the accuracy of the data for workouts on the whole has been similar. 

Polar H9: Should you buy it?

Polar H9: Verdict

The Polar H9 is proof that you don’t have to spend lots of money to get that accurate hit of heart rate data during your Fitness Plus workouts. It pairs easily with the Apple Watch, it stays put during more energetic sessions and it’s got great battery life too. The extras you’ll get on the Polar H10 shouldn’t really matter to Fitness Plus fans, while you can always choose to upgrade to Polar’s Pro strap optionally if the soft strap doesn’t work for you. The best heart rate monitors are the ones that are simple and easy to use and effortlessly pair when you need them to. That’s exactly what the H9 gives you.